A player the 49ers"desperately" coveted before the draft, the 6-foot-7, 291-pound Buckner fell into San Francisco's lap with the seventh-overall pick.

Last year's Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, Buckner operated as a physical wonder for Oregon's defense, chewing through offensive linemen and often looking like a man among boys. The Niners hope he'll do the same in a front seven that will pair him with former Oregon end Arik Armstead -- another 6-foot-7 specimen who played well last season.